So, let’s say you made yesterday’s Chicken Cutlets with Bacon, Rosemary and Lemon, and you have a few cutlets left over. Then you have the beginnings of my new favorite lunch: a Bacon-Rosemary Chicken Sandwich with Herb-Roasted Onions.

You’ll need the cutlets (which are seasoned with bacon, rosemary, lemon juice, salt and pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes), your favorite sandwich buns, a little mayo, provolone and Ina Garten’s Herb-Roasted Onions, one of this month’s Barefoot Bloggers recipes.

I wasn’t jumping up and down about trying these onions, but they are a fantastically versatile, delicious side dish. The roasting really brings out the sweetness of the onions and mellows them out for raw onion-haters like me. It’s a texture thing. I roasted the onions with rosemary (instead of thyme) to accompany the first night’s chicken cutlets and then piled them onto my sandwich the next day. So. Stinking. Good.

Herb-Roasted Onions

From Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa” (Food Network)

• 2 red onions
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.
2. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.
3. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

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